Too Fast
by thehollowones
Summary: "Once upon a time there was born a girl named Hermione Granger, and she was very, very bad-" Because after all, he really did love her. co-written with danceforevergirl. complete. one-shot.


**A/N All rights to the great JKR, all the love to my fantastic co-writer danceforevergirl, and all the reviews to me please! :)**

He held his breath and muttered to himself that she fell too fast. That maybe if she hadn't been so weighted down with guilt like she was, she could have floated. She could have built a world up there, suspended in the sky over the bridge. But then, he wouldn't have been allowed in, so maybe it was better this way. Better that they both were gone now, lost souls together.

He was there when she fell, and the one last kiss she allowed him to place on her lips was out of pity. That was what was weighting her down. All the pity she felt towards the poor man who was in love with a killer. He remembered the night clearly, the night she broke down in a mess of curls and skin, running to the one man she knew loved her. She wanted to be screamed at, to hear the deep voice she grew to crave over the years telling her how could she. How could she do such a thing. But he didn't speak a word, only held his arms open and tried not to think of how the tears would stain his robes. Because he wasn't that cold person anymore, and she was. There was silence and a calm confession that he could hear echo in his head like some sick record as he sat on the bridge railing, looking down at the waters that had long since been rid of a young girl's body, a chocolate gaze. She had led him there that night, eyes watery, path sure.

"Once upon a time there was born a girl named Hermione Granger, and she was very, very bad-" her voice cracked, and he scrutinized her face, which was oddly serene. "And she had a friend, a very best friend, named Harry and she... killed... him because he wanted to die."

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh, Sev-" Her eyes glistened with unshed tears.

"Don't call me Sev," he muttered.

"I'm a murderer. I'll call you what I want." Her voice went sharp for a moment, but softened as she continued. "I found him, in the forest, just sitting there. He had his wand out, pointing it at himself. And then he said it."

She wrapped her arms around herself as if she were the only thing she could trust. There was a hushed pause. "Avada Kedavra," she said in a dull voice. And then he knew, with a horrible swooping sensation, what she had done.

"I told him it wouldn't work, that the spell wasn't meant to be used that way, but he had this look in his eyes. And then he said he would do it… the muggle way, and I just- I had to. He told me he was a fake, a pretender, and that if he couldn't be with Sirius, and Remus and his mum and dad, he didn't want to live anymore."

Tears were streaming down her face. Severus thought about closing the gap between them but couldn't seem to bring himself to move.

"And so I asked him if he loved me and he said he did. I made him say it. And then I told him I loved him more and I... and I..."

At last, Severus pulled her into his arms. "Avada Kedavra," she whispered into his robes. Suddenly she sighed, and the man kissed her softly as she let go of his cold hand.

"What are you doing?" he asked as she walked over and swung herself onto the railing. She paused a moment and looked back at him, crystalline tears still trailing from her eyes.

"I loved you more," she whispered, and then she was gone.

She fell too fast for him to save her.

He bit his lip until it bled and tried, tried to think of something else, but the image came to him and he shivered. He needed to be gone. He had thought about jumping, but this time… this time he had to. He hung over the edge, frozen with fear. No, he wouldn't. He couldn't. Her love would be gone then, that is, if she loved him at all. He never could tell. He turned back to the bridge, grasping the railing and swinging over. Only, his foot slipped, and he plummeted quickly towards the black waters, weighted down this time, by longing. He didn't try and stop his fate. He just fell. People would whisper things, about suicide pacts and going to meet his princess, but no one ever knew.

He really did love her.


End file.
